Vincent didn't want to 'miss the deal' at Dinsmore

Jan. 27, 2014

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The George Vincent file

• Age: 56 • Hometown: Dearborn, Mich. • Resides: Indian Hill • Family: Vincent and his wife have three children and two grandchildren. • Education: Bachelor’s in political science, University of Michigan; J.D. University of Michigan

Cliff Roe headed Dinsmore & Shohl’s corporate department in the 1980s when an eager young lawyer named George Vincent kept knocking at his door, begging for more work.

“He’d say, ‘I don’t want to miss that deal,’ ” said Roe, who later became the firm’s managing partner. “We worked a heck of a lot of deals together, large and small, for many of the city’s major companies. George was very enthusiastic, and that’s how he built his tremendous skills.”

Vincent’s passion for work has led to a Rolodex of clients that include some of the region’s most powerful business executives and institutions. He learned the business part at the University of Michigan, where he took business classes along with his political science and law degrees.

Passion, on the other hand, can’t be taught. Or faked. Vincent said it’s a critical differentiator when top law firms are choosing employees – and when businesses are hiring law firms.

“People want passion, and if someone’s paying an awful lot of money on an hourly basis to think about their problem, I feel there’s no bigger compliment,” he said. “So you’d better be passionate and get pretty excited about the chance to do that.”

This year, the 56-year-old Vincent is excited about starting his third, three-year term as managing partner at Dinsmore & Shohl, one of the region’s largest law firms. With 894 employees in 13 cities, the firm reported $187.7 million in revenues in 2013.

One Great Recession and two mergers after he first took charge of the firm, Vincent says Dinsmore is poised to take advantage of the improving economic climate.

Enjoys being in city in which 'you can ... make a difference'

The Detroit native also is energized about what he’s seeing in the region. Tops on that list is the collaboration mantra that economic development organizations like the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority and Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber are promoting as they work with top executives from the Cincinnati Business Committee and Cincinnati Regional Business Committee.

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“We’ve got some really strong organizations, and I think they’re pulling the same oar,” Vincent said. “Everybody wants the same thing. Everybody wants Greater Cincinnati to develop and thrive.”

For Vincent, the region’s success is personal. Detroit is never far from his mind – he delivered the Free Press as a kid and still reads it and the Detroit News online every day. Watching Detroit fall into bankruptcy has been painful. And part of what’s kept Vincent in Cincinnati is the chance to engage.

He’s currently Christ Hospital’s board chairman, and he has held leadership roles at the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, Arts­Wave, the chamber and Cincinnati Art Museum. He also served as chairman of Hamilton’s County’s Republican Party.

Vincent headed the corporate department in 2002, when the chamber formed the Minority Business Accelerator to support the creation and growth of more minority- and women-owned businesses. In 2003, Dinsmore partner Calvin Buford was named the MBA’s first director.

“When I told George that I wanted to be a loaned executive to the chamber to launch and run the MBA for up to three years, he didn’t even have to think about it,” Buford said. “His immediate response was, ‘That’s a great idea. It’s good for you, good for the community and good for the firm.’ ”

It’s these kinds of business-led efforts that have kept Cincinnati ahead of many Midwestern rivals, Vincent said.

“To watch (Detroit) decay and become what it is has been hard to do, but I contrast that with here, where people are still passionate and you can still make a difference,” he said. “Downtown has never been better in my 31 years here than it is today.”

Relating to people is key; technical skills not enough

Vincent’s first day as a full-time Dinsmore employee was June 1, 1982. He worked in the corporate department where his mentors included Roe, Paul Mattingly and Nolan Carson.

Vincent eventually established a strong book of business. He helped Bob Castellini purchase the Cincinnati Reds, and his clients have included the Castellini Group of Companies, Procter & Gamble, Ashland Inc. and Lam Research Corp. Vincent negotiated former University of Cincinnati President Greg Williams’ severance deal after his surprise resignation in 2012.

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Roe said Vincent’s people skills and passion are critical attributes and help him stand out with blue-chip clients.

“George has done a wonderful job establishing his credentials in our business community. Not only his enthusiasm, but his ability to relate to people. That’s why he represents Castellini, and why he became our firm’s representative on the Procter & Gamble account,” Roe said. “It’s not just his technical skills. When you’re selling services, and not products, you’ve got to have other skills. George has them in spades.”

Vincent eventually took on more responsibilities and joined the firm’s management committee in 1993. He ran the corporate department for nine years where he led recruiting, retention, training and strategic planning. As part of a succession plan, he worked as co-managing partner with Roe for a year before taking the reins solo.

Defining moment for firm: Passing the test in bad times

The first year as managing partner was a lot of fun. Then the Great Recession hit. Leading the firm through that stretch was difficult, but Vincent embraced the collaborative culture that Roe helped establish during the 1970s.

“Everybody talks about culture. My test is when times are bad, what do people do? We didn’t fire anybody, we didn’t lay anybody off, we didn’t cut anybody’s compensation,” Vincent said. “We continued to expand through 2008, knowing it was going to cost us money that year, but to a person every partner voted to continue to grow, to not lay people off, to not cut salaries. To me, that was a defining moment for our law firm.”

Dinsmore is now poised to capitalize on the economic rebound. The corporate mergers and acquisitions market is still choppy but improving, and the firm is looking to increase business in cities where it doesn’t have the same recognition, or 105-year history, that it enjoys in Cincinnati.

The challenges haven’t been limited to the recession. A jury in 2012 ordered Dinsmore to pay $12.6 million after it represented Douglas-Ohio and Douglas Machine & Manufacturing in a 2006 sale to Turbocombuster. Turbocombuster said it wasn’t made aware of a 2005 shareholder lawsuit involving the Douglas companies, which created a $10 million liability. Vincent declined to comment on the case, which was settled in 2012.

Law firms also are negotiating the technological revolution, which means clients expect instant service.

“Expectations are greater, it’s 24/7. It’s not, ‘I sent the letter, did you get it?’ It’s, ‘I sent the email, it’s been three minutes, and you haven’t responded,’ ” Vincent said. “So the demands are greater, which forces people to become more disciplined, to separate work life from personal life.”

Vincent manages the pressure with early morning workouts, movies and studying history, another passion. He said the modern pace is a perfect match for his personality.

“I get up early. I talk really fast, I’ve got a lot of energy. I don’t drink coffee or tea. I like to work, I like to get things done, I like to move,” he said. “I’m the luckiest guy you’re ever going to meet. I love what I do.” ⬛